


They Might Be Giants

by PeregrineBones



Series: 1977 [9]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, They Might Be Giants
Genre: Flirting, M/M, Marauders' Era, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 22:00:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7658335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeregrineBones/pseuds/PeregrineBones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The marauder's go to see a Muggle band.</p>
            </blockquote>





	They Might Be Giants

It was lucky, the four of them agreed, that they all had the night off. James and Sirius had just returned from a three day reconnaissance mission, Remus was leaving the following morning to investigate a particularly nasty werewolf attack up north, and Lily had the night free from St. Mungo's, although she was still shaken from an incident last week when she had treated a whole family with severe injuries. They had been attacked because the parents were muggle born. One of the children had died in her arms. The war, they all felt, was getting worse.

They had become used to this grim reality, almost inured to it. Tonight they were trying out a new curry restaurant in Diagon Alley called The Gryphon’s Chile, and the food was excellent. They were on their second bottle of wine and their spirits were high. “It's almost like we're living a normal life,” thought Remus as he listened to the animated chatter and looked around at the happy faces. He found Sirius' hand and squeezed it under the table.

James had got tickets to a show, a band from America known for its quirky humor, and Remus felt a sense of adventure and possibility as they emerged out of Diagon Alley and into Muggle London. It was a crisp October evening, a crescent moon hovering in a deep blue sky. The air smelled of the autumn leaves rustling in a light breeze. They all agreed that it would be difficult to apparate into the crowded district they were headed for and piled into a muggle cab. Remus was squeezed into the middle, up against Sirius who couldn't resist planting a small kiss on his ear. Lily, on the other side of Remus, smiled at them benevolently.

Remus loved the band. Just two blokes with an accordion, a guitar and an electronic drum machine. They used weird homemade props like giant paper mache hands and sock puppets and they were funny. Remus found himself laughing out loud like a little kid. And they had a song called “Gravity's Rainbow,” a book that Remus loved. He had tried and failed to get his friends to appreciate it. The club was small, just a bar, really, with a tiny stage at the back, and when Remus went up front to order drinks during a break, the accordion player was sitting right there, nursing a beer.

“Great show,” said Remus, really meaning it.

The tall skinny fellow smiled a crooked smile. He seemed genuinely pleased by the praise, almost surprised. “I'm glad you liked it,” he said softly in his flat American accent and, “He's shy,” thought Remus, regardless of his antics on stage.

“I really loved the Gravity's Rainbow song,”

“Oh have you read it?”

And then they were talking about Gravity's Rainbow and the merits of Pynchon's other novels, and American versus British music and various favorite bands and Remus noticed how handsome he was, dark eyes, almost black, his large hands becoming animated as they talked, that off center smile. Then the other bloke in the band, the heavier set one, came to fetch him away. It was almost time to start their next set.

“John Linnell,” the tall American introduced himself, taking Remus’ hand. “Pleasure to meet you. Really.” His hand was warm and large, and Remus felt suddenly self conscious.

“Remus Lupin,” he said shyly. “Great show. Really.”

“Maybe I’ll see you after,” said John, flashing the crooked smile. Remus returned to the table with four lagers a bit breathless. Sirius was looking daggers at him and, “I don't care,” thought Remus defiantly as he turned his head away from Sirius and toward the tiny stage. “You do it all the time.”

And, in fact, it was true. Sirius could not attend a party or go to a club without half of the women in the room falling for him and a good percentage of the men as well. He flirted naturally and easily with everyone he talked to, working his way through any room with his easy smile and quick wit like a fish swimming through water. Remus had had to school himself not to mind it, and he usually didn't. Sirius was Sirius, he loved the attention, fed off it, it soothed him, and he would go home with Remus and they would make love with a focus and intensity that reassured Remus that he had nothing to worry about.

Now as Remus watched the band perform, he couldn't take his eyes off the tall, skinny accordion player, watching his hands on the keys, his easy grace on stage replacing the awkwardness Remus had noticed when they were talking. His voice was a bit reedy when he sang. It wasn't a great voice but it worked well for the funny parts and deepened during the more serious songs to convey intensity and a surprising amount of anger very effectively.

This had happened to him before, with musicians. The first time he had seen Bowie perform he had gone around for weeks in a semi-erotic stupor. The same with Lou Reed. But this was a small, intimate club, there were only about 50 people in the room, it wasn't even packed. How could that be, he wondered, when these guys were so brilliant? During the second break the tall American came over to their table and introduced himself, shook hands all around. James was expansive, charming, and Lily was smiling, looking beautiful. Sirius was uncharacteristically quiet. Peter arrived with a new girlfriend, muttering something about guard duty going late, which caused a bit of a distraction, and more introductions. Somehow John got Remus turned away from the group and they were talking again, this time about a new idea for a song John had been playing around with and Remus felt his cheeks go warm. He smiled back at John, felt Sirius' eyes on his back and then the third set was starting, and Remus stared again at those hands, the graceful curve of that back, and listened again to that reedy expressive voice.

By the end of the evening Sirius was in a glower, and Remus was starting to feel a bit remorseful. John handed him a card and mentioned where he was staying London. “Dial-a-Song,” said the card, with a foreign looking number. “If you're ever in New York call me,” John said as they stepped out into the October night. It had turned chilly.

The cab was quiet as they rode back to Diagon Alley with James and Lily. Peter had gone off with the new girl, looking eager. They said goodnight and headed to Remus' small flat behind Florian Fortescue's. Remus unlocked the door and they entered.

Remus loved his flat. He'd had it since they'd left school. At the time it had caused a big fight. Sirius could not understand why Remus wanted a place of his own. He had wanted Remus to move in with him, into the flat he had inherited from Uncle Alphard. But Remus had fallen in love with this place from the moment he had seen it. He had been saving the last two years at Hogwarts to pay for it, tutoring underclassmen and working various odd jobs in Hogsmeade. It wasn't a flat at all, though they called it that, but a three story shed tacked precariously on to the back of Florian Fortescues Ice Cream Emporium, right in the heart of Diagon Alley. Clearly magic was involved in keeping the place from falling down. The entrance was on a narrow alley. The whole first floor was an open sitting room and kitchen with a small fireplace. A rickety set of stairs led to a small bed and bath, and above that was a third room which Remus had set up as a study, with his desk and books and a second fireplace. A ladder in the corner led to the roof, where Remus grew a few herbs and a tomato plant in pots, and where he liked to go on warm evenings to look at the stars and listen to the sounds of Diagon Alley drifting up from below.

Sirius, who had objected strenuously to the flat at first had pretty well moved in at this point, though he still maintained his address at Uncle Alphard's old place which he shared with Peter. But Peter was always nervous when the two of them were there together, and Remus' place was centrally located, just a few blocks from Lily and James, and it had felt like home right from the beginning.

Now the silence hung between them. Remus poured two glasses of firewhiskey, lit the fire with his wand and rolled a joint. Sirius sat on the sofa and accepted the whiskey. They smoked the joint in silence, passing it between them. The clock ticked on the mantel. Indigo, the wise old Siamese Remus had had since childhood watched them from the windowsill, concerned, sensing the tension in the room. Remus sighed. He should probably apologize, but he knew that would just start the row and he hated rows. Though this one was his fault, he supposed. He leaned back on the sofa and stretched, closing his eyes for a moment. He felt tired. Maybe they could leave it til morning?

He felt Sirius get up. He opened his eyes. Sirius was standing, staring at the fire, empty glass in hand.

“Maybe I should just go,” he said into the fire.

Remus stood as well and grabbed his hand. “Don't be stupid. Come to bed,” he said.

“Oh, I'm being stupid am I?” Sirius growled, snatching his hand away. He was breathing hard.

“No,” said Remus quietly, “You're not being stupid.”

“Good. Glad we got that straight.”

“Look, I'm sorry, it was just..... Nothing happened, Sirius! Obviously. You were there the whole time.”

“You were flirting with him, Moony,” Sirius spluttered.

“I was …. We were just talking!”

“Looked like flirting to me!”

“Well…..maybe just a little,” Remus admitted.

“And he.... he fancied you!”

“So what?”

“So what?”

“You do it all the time,” said Remus in a low voice.

“I do it all the time? What are you talking about Moony? I don't go off flirting with blokes in bars! I don't take their card, and smile and say, 'See you in New York.' ” His voice was an unnatural sarcastic falsetto, his eyes stormy.

“I didn't say that!” said Remus sharply. “And you do Sirius! You flirt constantly, with everyone, you know you do! You can't even help it. I don't know if you even know you're doing it half the time. We can't go anywhere without people just throwing themselves on you.”

“That's just women,” Sirius said. “That's just …. that's nothing! You liked this bloke! I could tell.”

“I liked him,” said Remus and looked in Sirius' face for what felt like the first time in hours. “He was okay. But I'm not in love with him, Sirius. I'm in love with you.”

Sirius stared back at him, then walked over to the window and looked out at the street. His head, in profile, was very handsome, noble looking, his longish hair flowing back from his face. He looked like something on a coin, Remus thought.

“Look, Moony, when I flirt it's just what I do. I've always been like that, I don't know any other way. I don't mean anything by it and nothing's going to happen. But when you flirt, it means something. You really liked this fellow. And... and I don't like that.”

“You don't ?”

“No,” said Sirius, turning to look at him. “I don't.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I don't like it, Moony.”

Remus was quiet. Footsteps echoed up from the street, a snatch of song, followed by laughter. People were going home from the pubs. The air smelled like toffee, as it sometimes did in the fall.

“Look, I'm no good at this,” said Sirius after a moment.

“Try it,” said Remus, moving across the room to stand in front of him. “Just....try it, Sirius.”

He spread his hands, and looked at Remus imploringly. “I love you, all right?” he said

“Its nice to hear it sometimes.” Remus murmured.

Sirius moved closer, put his hands on Remus' shoulders, bumped his forehead against Remus.' “I love you,” he said, and kissed his nose, “ I love you deeply.” He kissed his cheek. “I love you passionately,” and kissed his mouth, firmly, a sure kiss, taking possession. “And I don't like other blokes sniffing around.”

“You're pretty good at this when you try,” Remus whispered into his ear, his voice gone husky.

“And... and I need you. And I don't think I could face what I have to face every day without you to come to home to.” And as he said it, Remus knew it to be true.

Sirius snaked his arms around Remus’ waist and leaned in for a kiss, and it was good, mouth on mouth, chest to chest, arms wrapped around each other, the heat rising slow and sure between them. Then Sirius lifted his head and looked at Remus. “This is what I want,” he said “All those parties, all those people, all that noise and chatter. The whole time I'm just looking forward to being with you. Just like this. The two of us. Seeing that look on your face just before you really lose it, hearing that little whinging noise you make.” He smiled. He was teasing a little now, the anger gone.

“Better and better at it,” said Remus kissing down his neck to the hollow between his collarbones. “You should try it more often.” He pushed Sirius down on the sofa, kissing him harder, pressing into him, feeling his erection through their clothes, pushing his own hard cock against Sirius' thigh. Sirius moaned underneath him and he grabbed Sirius' hair in both hands, pulling his head back so he could kiss his neck, his adam's apple, the stubbly place under his jaw. Sirius arched his back, pushing harder against him, and Remus worked his knees between Sirius' thighs, up against his arse, and “Fuck me,” Sirius moaned into his ear, “I want you,” and they got out of their clothes, somehow, and Remus obeyed, whispering a spell and taking him hard and fast and it was good, so good, the push and the rhythm and the sudden rush of pleasure.

Then they lay together on the sofa, the firelight playing over their bodies, Sirius on his back, Remus curled against his side. Remus traced the lion tattoo on his bicep. Remus had one too, all four marauders did, the result of a drunken adventure one cold winter night during their seventh year.

“Sirius,” he said.

“Mmm?” sleepily

“Could you do something for me? Just as an experiment? Could you try something?”

“Mm hmm. Sure. What Moony?”

“Just... just.... could you tone it down sometimes? When we're out? It might be more relaxing. For both of us.”

Sirius was quiet, tensing a bit, awake now.

“You don't have to prove anything to anybody, Sirius. Nobody cares.”

“That's not true, Moony.” Sirius' voice was low. “I wish it were true but it's not and you know it.”

“Lily and James don't mind”

“That's true, thank Merlin. But other people mind. Peter minds, you know he does.”

“Yes,” Remus admitted. “He does.”

“And other people mind. My family minds.”

“Since when did you start caring about what your family thinks?”

“Well it's not just them, is it? Its their whole stupid circle, their whole pureblood world. You know how people are, what people say. I listened to it for years. I grew up listening to it. I said it myself. It's … I didn't plan this. I didn't plan to fall in love with another man. It just happened, and…..and now here we are and it's confusing, that's all. Look at what happened to Gideon...”

“I don't like to think about that,” said Remus with a shudder.

“Yeah, well that shows you what Voldemort thinks of …. of men like us and it scares me, Moony, it frightens the hell out of me. If people knew, if the Death Eaters knew, they would use it against us. They would try to turn us against each other. You know they would.”

They were quiet for a while, each thinking his own thoughts, the firelight dancing in the dark room.

“Do you realize we've been together almost two years?” said Remus softly.

“Give or take,” said Sirius, kissing him gently on the nose. They had split up twice since they'd left school. Both times they had each done some experimenting and both times they had quickly found their way back to each other again.

“Early morning for me,” said Remus remembering his assignment. “It's going to be a long day.”

“I'll have dinner for you when you come home,” said Sirius, rising and stretching and offering Remus a hand up. They gathered their clothes which lay scattered about and Remus doused the fire with his wand. They headed up the rickety stairs to Remus' bedroom on the second floor and got into bed. The cat padded silently in and settled at their feet. Remus snuggled against Sirius, naked, grateful for his warmth, the wind rustling the fall leaves outside the open window.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the last installment I have planned for the 1977 series. This story doesn't really fit as it takes place a couple of years later, in 1979. I am planning to post a new series soon, set in 1994, the year after Sirius escapes from Azkaban. Thanks for reading, I am having so much fun with this! Peregrine Bones.


End file.
